Inspired by College Baseball Daily’s list of the top 100 college baseball players, BluGrass Baseball is counting down the top 25 returning Kentucky collegians in advance of the 2011 season. We continue the list today with one of the top two-way players in the country.

No. 13 — RHP/INF Braden Kapteyn — University of Kentucky

Braden Kapteyn; Photo: UK Athletics

Junior right-handed pitcher and infielder Braden Kapteyn returns to UK as not only the best two-way player on the roster but also as one of the top two-way players in the country. On the mound Kapteyn was 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA and 22 strikeouts to go with 15 walks last season. At the plate, serving as UK’s primary designated hitter while also filling in at first base, Kapteyn batted .294 with six home runs, 28 RBI and 31 runs scored. Kapteyn has also saved six games in his two-year collegiate career and enters the 2011 season as the Cats’ likely closer.

During the summer 2010 Kapteyn was named a Cape Cod League all-star. He was 3-1 with a 0.64 ERA in 15 games for the Harwich Mariners during the summer season. Kapteyn struck out 29 batters, walked 11 and allowed just nine hits in 28 and one-third innings for the Mariners. The Lansing, Ill., native was selected to the 2010 watch list for John Olerud Award, which goes to the top two-way player in the country. In the summer 2009 Baseball America named Kapteyn the best prospect in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Kapteyn was the 39th round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 2008 draft out of high school.